Billboard goes up in homicide case

A billboard has been donated by an advertising company to try and help solve the December shooting death of Kim Hua Flournoy, 65. Flournoy was shot and killed outside TNT Beach Bingo on Henderson Drive on Dec. 30. The Crime Stoppers billboard is in front of Combat Fitness at 925 Marine Blvd. in Jacksonville.

Don Bryan/The Daily News

By LINDELL KAY - Daily News Staff

Published: Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 08:00 AM.

An advertising company has donated a prime-spot billboard to try to help solve the December shooting death of an elderly woman outside a
Jacksonville
bingo hall.

Kim Hua Flournoy, 65, was shot and killed Dec. 30 outside TNT Beach Bingo on
Henderson Drive
. Police believe she was the victim of an armed robbery. She was the widow of a Marine, mother of two adult children and grandmother of one.

The billboard, located in the 900 block of
Marine Boulevard
, was donated by Fairway Outdoor Advertising with reward and contact information from Onslow County Crime Stoppers.

Police continue working every possible lead in the case, said Lt. Jason Bettis, investigations supervisor for the Jacksonville Police Department.

Detectives were back at the scene Friday. Sgt. Chuck James, the department's evidence supervisor, climbed onto the roof of the bingo hall, but police were mum on the purpose of his actions.

The bingo hall has a dozen video surveillance cameras on its property. Police have not released footage or still photos of the suspect or vehicle believed to be involved.

Flournoy's house on
Victoria Drive
was broken into Dec. 14, according to the Onslow County Sheriff's Office. Police have not said whether they believe there is a connection between the two crimes.

An advertising company has donated a prime-spot billboard to try to help solve the December shooting death of an elderly woman outside a Jacksonville bingo hall.

Kim Hua Flournoy, 65, was shot and killed Dec. 30 outside TNT Beach Bingo on Henderson Drive. Police believe she was the victim of an armed robbery. She was the widow of a Marine, mother of two adult children and grandmother of one.

The billboard, located in the 900 block of Marine Boulevard, was donated by Fairway Outdoor Advertising with reward and contact information from Onslow County Crime Stoppers.

Police continue working every possible lead in the case, said Lt. Jason Bettis, investigations supervisor for the Jacksonville Police Department.

Detectives were back at the scene Friday. Sgt. Chuck James, the department's evidence supervisor, climbed onto the roof of the bingo hall, but police were mum on the purpose of his actions.

The bingo hall has a dozen video surveillance cameras on its property. Police have not released footage or still photos of the suspect or vehicle believed to be involved.

Flournoy's house on Victoria Drive was broken into Dec. 14, according to the Onslow County Sheriff's Office. Police have not said whether they believe there is a connection between the two crimes.

Authorities ask the community to contact investigators or Crime Stoppers with any information they may have about the incident — no matter how small or insignificant they may think the information may be, Jacksonville Public Safety Director Mike Yaniero said.

“The information they provide could be beneficial to the team of investigators working day and night to resolve this case,” he said.

The billboard will hopefully place more focus on the homicide, Crime Stoppers Chairman Joe Yannessa said. He thanked the billboard company for donating the space and Jacksonville police for paying for production costs. The City of Jacksonville also produced handouts and posters.

The possible reward in the case has climbed to $22,500, the most ever offered by the local Crime Stoppers organization.

The reward includes donations from the bingo hall owner, the property owner at 205 Henderson Drive, Marine Federal Credit Union, the Jacksonville Department of Public Safety, an anonymous friend of the Flournoy family and Crime Stoppers.

Federal, state and local authorities continue to look for a four-door white Dodge Avenger that fled the area after the shooting at around 7:42 p.m. The male shooting suspect was wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt, jeans, black gloves and white athletic-type shoes with a black stripe design at the time of the shooting, according to police.

Anyone with information on the suspect or vehicle can contact JPD detective Gary Manning at 910-938-6405 or at gmanning@ci.jacksonville.nc.us. Tipsters can also contact Crime Stoppers at 910-938-3273. Callers to Crime Stoppers do not have to reveal their identities.

Contact Daily News Senior Reporter Lindell Kay at 910-219-8455 or lindell.kay@jdnews.com. Follow him on Twitter and friend him on Facebook @ 1lindell.